Family Guide To Oral Health

By following the information in this guide, you and your family can have healthy teeth and gums to last a lifetime. As a parent, you can work with your children to help them understand why good oral care is important — and show them how to do it right!

Four Steps to a Bright Smile

Brush at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, especially after eating breakfast and before bedtime.

Floss every day.

Limit the number of times you eat snacks each day.

Visit your dentist regularly.

It's easy to guide your family toward good oral health. All it takes is the right information and a little practice to keep them moving in the right direction!

How to brush

How to floss

Fluoride – your family's best defense

Fluoride is the best cavity fighter you can find as you guide your family to a lifetime of bright smiles! It keeps the whole family's teeth strong — no matter what their ages.

How fluoride works Every day, the enamel on teeth is attacked by acids produced in dental plaque. These acids can make teeth weaker, and can result in decay.

That's where fluoride comes in. When it reaches your teeth, fluoride is absorbed into the enamel. It helps to repair the enamel and prevent tooth decay. It can even help stop the decay process.

How to get fluoride You can get the benefits of fluoride from different places. It can work from the outside of your teeth, and from the inside of your body. To work the best, you need to get it both ways! At home, you and your family should brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, especially after eating breakfast and before bedtime.

How fluoride works Every day, the enamel on teeth is attacked by acids produced in dental plaque. These acids can make teeth weaker, and can result in decay.

That's where fluoride comes in. When it reaches your teeth, fluoride is absorbed into the enamel. It helps to repair the enamel and prevent tooth decay. It can even help stop the decay process.

How to get fluoride You can get the benefits of fluoride from different places. It can work from the outside of your teeth, and from the inside of your body. To work the best, you need to get it both ways! At home, you and your family should brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, especially after eating breakfast and before bedtime.

Snacking and tooth decay If fluoride is our greatest protection against decay, then frequent snacking can be our teeth's biggest enemy. Every day, you and your family face snacking challenges. Here's what you need to know:

It's how often you snack that matters The truth is that what your family eats isn't as important as when and how often they snack! It all has to do with the "plaque reaction," and this is how it works:

The plaque reaction Everyone has plaque bacteria in their mouths. But when these plaque bacteria meet up with the sugars and starches that are found in snacks such as cookies, candies, dried fruits, soft drinks or even pretzels or potato chips, the plaque reacts to create acid, and a "plaque attack" occurs.

The fact is, most snacks that you eat contain either sugars or starches that give plaque this opportunity to make acid. And each "plaque attack" can last for up to 20 minutes after you have finished your snack. During this period, the plaque acid is attacking tooth enamel, making it weak. That's when cavities can start!

Fighting back against plaque The good news is, you can take a stand against plaque! By brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and by reducing the number of times you snack each day, you and your family can help prevent tooth decay.

When it comes to snacking, it's best to choose something nutritious and to snack in moderation. It's also better to eat the whole snack at one time! Here's why: eating five pieces of a snack at one time exposes your teeth to possible tooth decay — for approximately 20 minutes. Nibbling on those same five pieces at five different times exposes your teeth to possible tooth decay for approximately 100 minutes. What a difference!

You need to watch baby's sweets, too!Infants are just as susceptible to decay as older children and adults. In fact, Early Childhood Cavities can be a very serious condition. See The Preventing Early Childhood Cavities section below for more information.

The dental checkupThe dentist is your family's partner on the Bright Smiles pathway. Be sure to schedule regular dental appointments for the whole family. A child's first visit should take place before his or her third birthday.

Dental checkups early in a child's life allow children to have a positive dental health experience.

TIP: Take your young toddler with you to your own appointment first. That way, the dental office becomes a familiar place.

Your dental checkup: what to expect

Fluoride treatments: Your dentist may treat your child's teeth with extra fluoride in the form of a gel to make teeth stronger. This gel goes in a tray that fits into the mouth that children wear for a few minutes to let the fluoride sink into their teeth. It comes in neat flavors for kids!

Dental sealants: These are thin, protective plastic coatings applied by the dentist to the permanent back teeth (molars). They fill in the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the teeth where foods and bacteria can get stuck and cause cavities. Once applied, sealants can last for several years.

X-rays: These "pictures" show the dentist what's going on inside the teeth and beneath the gum line. During the X-ray, your child will wear a lead apron to prevent unnecessary exposure.

Early Childhood Cavities is a childhood disease that can be prevented. The following steps can help guard your baby against this painful condition – and ask your dentist or physician for more information.

It's best not to put a bottle in bed with your baby. But if you must put a bottle in bed with your baby, put only plain water in it. Any liquid except water, even milk and juice, can cause cavities

You can use a bottle to feed your baby at regular feeding times, but allowing the bottle to be used as a pacifier can be a major cause of cavities.

Flossing teeth is the quick, effective way to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Discover flossing techniques at Colgate.com and learn the types of floss you should use. Colgate is your partner in dental health so visit us online.

BRUSHING AND FLOSSING

Overview

Even though we've been brushing and flossing our teeth for years and years, many of us are surprised to learn that we're not doing it properly. Case in point: Did you know that proper brushing takes at least two minutes? Most adults do not come close to brushing that long.

These four steps are the best and easiest ways to help you remember how to care for your mouth, teeth and gums:

Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes, especially first thing in the morning and before bedtime

Floss every day – usually at bedtime

Limit the number of times you eat snacks each day

Visit your dentist every six months for an oral exam and professional cleaning.

How to FLOSS

Pull 18 to 24 inches of dental floss from the floss dispenser.

Wrap the ends of the floss around your index and middle fingers.

Hold the floss tightly around each tooth in a C shape; move the floss back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth.

How to BRUSH

Place the toothbrush at a 45°angle along the gum line. Move the toothbrush in a back and forth motion, and repeat for each tooth.

Brush the inside surface of each tooth, using the same back and forth technique.

Brush the chewing surface (top) of each tooth.

Use tip of brush to brush behind each tooth — front and back, top and bottom and up and down strokes.

Be sure to brush your tongue to remove odor-causing bacteria.

Don’t brush off your oral health

Brushing and flossing are the keys to a healthy smile. Check out of products to find what’s right for you.